Environment

Legislation would have taken power away from city to regulate use of bags on its terms

CHAMPAIGN — Mayor Don Gerard on Sunday applauded Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of a bill that would have prevented Champaign from dealing with plastic bags on its own terms. Gerard said local officials can now resume discussions about limiting the use of the bags at stores within its borders.

DANVILLE — After investigating various sites over the last few years, Danville city officials have determined that several acres of undeveloped land northeast of the city would be ideal for a new landscape yard-waste facility.

"We have received a sufficient amount of rain that has helped eliminate some of the fears we had with dry grass," said Danville Public Safety Director Larry Thomason, who announced the ban was lifted at 7 a.m. Friday.

MONTICELLO — An attorney for the village of Summit pleaded with Illinois lawmakers to do something about "the landfill, pile, mountain, whatever you want to call it" of PCB-contaminated waste that sits in the southwest suburban village.

MONTICELLO — Officials with the Clinton Landfill insisted Thursday that PCB waste products could be stored there safely for more than a thousand years without leaching into the Mahomet Aquifer, the source of drinking water for 750,000 people in 88 central Illinois communities.

MAHOMET — After 6 1/2 years as executive director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, Jerry Pagac retired earlier this month. But he has no plans to leave Champaign County or to stop spending time outdoors.

"I'm staying here for now, just kind of waiting to see what might happen," he said last week. "I don't have any plans to go anywhere else."'